Harry Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Harry Leonard Carpenter OBE
(17 October 1925 – 20 March 2010) was a British
BBC
sports commentator
broadcasting from the early 1950s until his retirement in 1994. His speciality was boxing
. He was presenter of programmes such as Sportsnight
(1975–1985) and Grandstand
and also anchored coverage of Wimbledon
and golf
tournament
s.
His rapport with former WBC
World Heavyweight
Champion Frank Bruno
was well known. Carpenter often conducted post-match interviews with Bruno, whose catchphrase was "know what I mean, 'Arry?", and their relationship helped give Bruno a "cuddly bear" image and a popularity with the British public beyond the boxing fraternity.
in South London
and attended Selhurst Grammar School in Surrey
. During World War II
he served as a telegrapher in the Royal Navy
. He began sports reporting as a sub-editor for several national newspapers. He joined the BBC in 1949 and was the corporation's full-time boxing correspondent from 1962 until 1994, when Jim Neilly
replaced him in that capacity. He served as a boxing columnist for the Sporting Record from 1950–1954. He then worked for the Daily Mail
as a boxing writer and sports columnist from 1954 to 1962.
While writing for the national papers, Carpenter broadcast regularly on radio and television, covering thousands of professional and amateur fights including all Olympic Games
from 1956 until 1992. He wrote three books about boxing, produced the documentary, The Richest Prize in Sport, and served as the voice of the Hall of Fame series, Sports Archive and Great Moments in Sport.
While his name was most often associated with boxing, Carpenter established himself as one of England’s most versatile sportscasters, covering many of the major sporting events. He was a regular member of the broadcast team on Sportsnight
and Grandstand
and covered all major golf tournaments from 1965 until his retirement. He also served as commentator on the Oxford
and Cambridge
University Boat Race
, and greyhound racing. He anchored Wimbledon
for the BBC from 1967 until 1993. He was appointed OBE
in the 1991 New Year Honours.
He died in his sleep at King's College Hospital
in South London in the early hours of Saturday morning, 20 March 2010, aged 84.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 October 1925 – 20 March 2010) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sports commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
broadcasting from the early 1950s until his retirement in 1994. His speciality was boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He was presenter of programmes such as Sportsnight
Sportsnight
Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997.-Sportsview:Sportsnight was a successor to Sportsview which started on 8 April 1954. Sportsview was devised by Paul Fox, later Controller of BBC1 and Peter Dimmock was the original host for a decade...
(1975–1985) and Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
and also anchored coverage of Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s.
His rapport with former WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
World Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
Champion Frank Bruno
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...
was well known. Carpenter often conducted post-match interviews with Bruno, whose catchphrase was "know what I mean, 'Arry?", and their relationship helped give Bruno a "cuddly bear" image and a popularity with the British public beyond the boxing fraternity.
Biography
The son of a wholesale fish merchant at Billingsgate Market, Carpenter was born at South NorwoodSouth Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
and attended Selhurst Grammar School in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as a telegrapher in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He began sports reporting as a sub-editor for several national newspapers. He joined the BBC in 1949 and was the corporation's full-time boxing correspondent from 1962 until 1994, when Jim Neilly
Jim Neilly
Jim Neilly is a sports commentator from Northern Ireland.Formerly a teacher of science in the Belfast Boys' Model School, Neilly joined the BBC as a sports commentator and TV presenter. He has covered the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, Rugby Five Nations' Championship and the Irish Rugby Tours...
replaced him in that capacity. He served as a boxing columnist for the Sporting Record from 1950–1954. He then worked for the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
as a boxing writer and sports columnist from 1954 to 1962.
While writing for the national papers, Carpenter broadcast regularly on radio and television, covering thousands of professional and amateur fights including all Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
from 1956 until 1992. He wrote three books about boxing, produced the documentary, The Richest Prize in Sport, and served as the voice of the Hall of Fame series, Sports Archive and Great Moments in Sport.
While his name was most often associated with boxing, Carpenter established himself as one of England’s most versatile sportscasters, covering many of the major sporting events. He was a regular member of the broadcast team on Sportsnight
Sportsnight
Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997.-Sportsview:Sportsnight was a successor to Sportsview which started on 8 April 1954. Sportsview was devised by Paul Fox, later Controller of BBC1 and Peter Dimmock was the original host for a decade...
and Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
and covered all major golf tournaments from 1965 until his retirement. He also served as commentator on the Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
University Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
, and greyhound racing. He anchored Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
for the BBC from 1967 until 1993. He was appointed OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the 1991 New Year Honours.
He died in his sleep at King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
in South London in the early hours of Saturday morning, 20 March 2010, aged 84.
External links
- Harry Carpenter on the BBC website
- Harry Carpenter at American Sportscasters Online
- Harry Carpenter - Daily Telegraph obituary